This exhibition is an examination and presentation of the creative environment and the personal relationship of the two artists since their establishment of the “San-Tin-Hái-Bī Studio”. “San-Tin-Hái-Bī” is a phrase written in cursive script on a spring festival couplet that a former resident left, inscribed with good fortune. A deeply grass-root term, it corresponds to the hustle and bustle of the common life of alleyways. The physical location of the residence is close to an alley near the art school. A first-floor residence around the size of twenty to thirty pyeong, with a spiral staircase that leads to a basement, San-Tin-Hái-Bī Studio fosters creative process. The collaborators of this Studio, “WORKING HARD” (Kuo Po-Yu and She Wen-Ying), as people who link together the social relationship in the Studio, look for artists who work on different genres to interact and communicate.

“WORKING HARD” has been examining the relationship between materialistic existence and concept within artistic production, and dealt with the re-memorization and rewriting of the past and present, space and objects, which result in the construction of systemic archives, since the establishment of San-Tin-Hái-Bī Studio. This process is similar to the copy of the original through photocopy techniques, with the authorization of "certified copy." Could we then easily believe that new document is able to prove everything?

There is no clear measurement of a specific object or the reproduction of a real studio in the exhibition, but only A4 size objects that we could sense daily, which opens up a struggle between archives and reality. Is it possible for this route to go from reproduction and mimesis to reality? Or even mutually penetrate into each other? And how could the ambiguous status of archives and art incite us to intervene again? What kind of desire is it that reflects the unthorough archival impulse? How should we face the insurmountable limitation, the characteristic of ghost, and the unnameable chaos of the inability to touch physical bodies that are implicit in the archives?

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Alternative Space? Artist-run Space? Alright, so today we have reached an understanding that “alternative space” has merely a historical connotation left, whereas “artist-run space” cuts directly to the chase, but still nothing is explained through these terms. We suggest a temporary halt on the investigation of terminology. The significance lies in what we do, what we did and what we will be doing next.

So what have you been up to? In short, we practice art and curate exhibitions. When able, we also organize forums, launch publications and initiate projects for international artistic exchange. If you haven’t the time to read the brief introduction on the back, all you need to remember is this: our job is to generate new dialogues between art and the public and to offer the world something different for a change, or at the very least, we try our best when making mistakes.

Why not simply focus on practicing art? It’s not that simple. In fact, there is no such thing as simply practicing art. Contemporary art and its viewers have broken away from the monotonous relationship of simply paying a visit to the museum. Whether people are aware of it or not, art has undoubtedly permeated into every aspect of our lives. Therefore, a genuine art practitioner would not shy away when met face to face with genuine public issues. We simply want to do it better.

Where does your funding come from? Unemployment subsidies. That was a joke. We operate with funds which come from our own pockets and occasional help from limited government funding—translation: we are often short of cash.

Are all members artists? We were founded as an artist-based organization, but are delighted to have recruited more and more members from interdisciplinary professions in recent years. As for the artists, you may still catch a glimpse of them from time to time carrying a spear and shield, riding a scrawny horse and followed around by a fox hound.

Can I join? Certainly, you are most welcome to join us. Please note, however, this is not a recruitment ad. Despite our wish to recruit more like-minded friends, we hope that all potential members first try to understand our situation before participating in anything. Acknowledgement of the process is in itself an important form of participation, which means that everything you imagine could be possible. In other words, we would love your attention starting from now.